JOHN BLACK P.S.
NEWSLETTER
150 LAMOND STREET, FERGUS, ONTARIO N1M 2A1 Tel. 519-843-2665
Scott Preston, Principal
October 2015
Belinda Norris, Office Coordinator
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE
We are off to a great start to the new school year. Students
have settled in to our new school year with a lot of energy
and enthusiasm. We have 360 students, 19 teachers and
8 support staff. The transition to the new year has been
busy, but has gone very well.
School Organization and Staff for 2015/16
Tammy Nollert …………..Kindergarten A
Kim Byan ………………..Kindergart A ECE
Jason Swan ………………Kindergarten B
Sandra Richards …………Kindergarten B ECE
Stephanie Klaver-Croezen...Grade 1/2
Sarrah Fulcher ………….Grade 1/2
Brent Graham ..…………Grade 3
Melisa Weaver ………..Grade 4
Tracey Mooney ………..Grade 4/5
Terra Matheson-Peck…..Grade 5
Sarah-Jane Olszewski …Grade 6
Luke Kordupel ………Grade 8, Intermediate Math
Laura Alessio ……..Grade 7, Int. Health and Phys. Ed
Stewart Hirst ……..Grade7/8, Int. History, Geography
Shari Roberts ………...Grade 8. Intermediate Arts
Alan Gouk …………...Int. Science & Tech, Spec. Ed.
Nia Pommier ………...Core French, Grade 6/7
Aleisha Korga ..……...Core French
David Olgilvie ……….Core French
Marlene Mahoney…….Library and Planning
Eva Kehrer …………..Special Ed.
Tracey Haley ………...Educational Assistant
Tanya Mikel …………Educational Assistant
Tamara Zappia ………Child and Youth Councilor
Belinda Norris ……….Office Coordinator
Lisa Ecclestone ……...Recess Supervisor P.M.
Paz Martinez ………...Recess Supervisor A.M. & P.M
NEWSLETTER ON THE WEB
As our school community grows so also does the
cost and environmental impact of producing a
paper copy of the newsletter for all our families.
Currently this would mean sending out 250 copies
of the newsletter which often requires 1000 or more
sheets of paper. Instead the newsletter is posted
each month on the school web site and we
encourage families to access it there along with
other news and information about our school
community. If your family would still like to receive
a paper copy of the newsletter please let the office
know and we will be happy to send one home.
The address for our website is:
www.ugdsb.on.ca/jblack
JOHN BLACK SCHOOL COUNCIL
FUNDRAISING WITH MABEL’S LABELS
Please visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search
for your organization name to place your order and
support our fundraiser.
LABELS FOR THE STUFF KIDS LOSE!!
Mabel’s Labels are dishwasher, microwave and
laundry safe personalized labels.
1-866-30-Mabel(62235)
fundraising@mabelslabels.com
The Mission of John Black Public School, as a family centred community school, is to develop
each student’s ability to acquire skills, knowledge, responsibility and respect for self and others,
by providing diverse learning opportunities within a safe and nurturing environment.
Parent Council Corner
We would like to extend a warm welcome to all John Black staff, parents and children. We are looking forward to
working with everyone this upcoming year. We would also like to welcome all the new kindergartens, Grade 7s from
Victoria Terrace and Grade 4s from James McQueen as well as all our students and families new to the John Black
community. We look forward to meeting you and working together to support our children.
Parent Council Overview
Parent Council is here to give parents a voice in the school and to work together with teachers and the school
administration to ensure our children have a wonderful school environment in which to learn and play. Any parent or
guardian of a John Black student is welcome to attend Parent Council meetings during the school year. It is not
necessary that you are a member of the Council to participate in our meetings or help with our events or activities. Any
participation, big or small is welcome.
Throughout the school year Parent Council plans and carries out a number of special events, activities and fundraisers.
Our goals as a Parent Council include: providing presentations and activities that will enrich our children’s lives;
providing opportunities for everyone to come together in community settings; to fund raise for items and activities that
parents and teachers feel would support and enrich our children’s learning experience.
Throughout the school year you will receive information from the School Council. We will endeavor to be as clear as
possible on what we are fund-raising for when we are fund-raising. Our community events are provided at minimal cost
in hopes that we will at least break even for that event. Our hope is that providing different opportunities everyone will
find something that they can participate in. Please choose what is of interest to you and your family. Thank you for your
contributions to supporting the John Black school community.
Mabel’s Labels
Summer is over and our kids are back in school. Mabel’s Labels produces and sells personalized labels that you can put
on just about everything… clothes, shoes, lunch containers, back packs and more. The labels help to ensure that lost
items can be returned to the rightful owners and saves parents from having to go out and replace the items. The labels
are laundry, dishwasher and microwave safe. For each purchase Mabel’s Labels will make a contribution to Parent
Council. For more information or to place an order go to campaigns.mabelslabels.com
Year Round Fundraisers
Parent Council has some fundraisers that we do year round. We collect Campbells soup labels which can be place in
the collection box in the school lobby. Fundscrip-Gift Cards for over 150 retailers are available and Parent Council
receives a percentage of the face value of the gift card. A listing of retailers is available at www.funscrip.com For
further information please email Andrea at abrown@ghlcomputing.ca
Lunch Box Program
The Lunch Box program was a great success last year and we are continuing the program this year. Watch for further
information coming home.
E-mail List
We have a list of John Black Parent emails that we email Parent Council information out to. This information includes
agendas and minutes for meetings as well as requests for help and other information that we feel is pertinent. If you
would like to be added to this list to receive information please forward us your name and email address to
sc.johnblack@ugdsgb.on.ca.
Next Meeting
Our next Parent Council meeting will be Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 6:30 pm at the school. Please join us……..
Everyone is welcome. If you have any questions, comments please e-mail us at: sc.johnblack@ugdsb.on.ca.
PICKING UP STUDENTS AT
THE END OF THE DAY
Do you believe that all children can
excel in mathematics?
Do you believe that children are born
with the math gene?
Do you believe that children can
suffer from math anxiety?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then please take
a moment and continue reading.
This year our work in math will continue to focus on helping
your children understand that math is about learning, not
performing. Research indicates that every time any one of us
makes a mistake in math our brains grow and connections are
made1. We need to help our children understand that making
mistakes is not a ‘bad’ thing. Making mistakes is how we
understand and get better at math.
At school, we want to help your children understand that math
is about problem solving, reasoning and proving, making
connections, communicating their thinking and persisting when
tasks are challenging. We want to help them adopt an “I Can do
Math” attitude.
In order for this to happen, we need to teach math differently
than the way many of us were taught. No longer is the teacher
robotically demonstrating mathematical methods that your
children don’t understand or care about.
Sebastian Thru, CEO of Udacity, says that we do not and
cannot know what mathematics students will need in the future.
The best preparation we can give them is to teach them to be
quantitatively literate, think flexibility and creatively and presolve and use intuition as they develop mathematical ideas2.
Math is about so much more than plugging numbers into a
formula. Math is about children actively engaging with the
problems, so that they understand how math is used in their
own life. We need to teach our children to use mathematics in
the world they will live in now and tomorrow. We’re not sure
what that world will look like, although we do know that it will
be different from the world we grew up in. We also know that
we want our students to love math and say with confidence “I
can do math”. As parents we think you want that too!
For ideas to support your children in math go to
www.YouCubed.org
UGDSB Curriculum Department
When there is a change in your child’s end of day pick up
routine we ask that parents please write a note in their
Agenda, especially if they are being picked up early or not
going on the bus.
Sometimes it is difficult when we receive phone calls close
to bell time for a pickup to find students (especially the
intermediate on rotary). Also it is the busiest time of the
day. We also realize sometimes it can’t be helped for last
minute appointments etc.
When picking up your child they will be waiting at the
end of the school by the walk way. (Opposite end from
parking lot).
Thank you for your continued cooperation.
Dates to
Remember
October 12
October 20
October 29
Thanksgiving Holiday
School Council , 6:30
School Council Family
Dance
October 30
P.A. Day
November 27 P.A. Day
December 21-January 1 Christmas
Break
January 22
P.A. Day
February 15
Family Day Holiday
March 14-18
March Break
March 25
Good Friday
March 28
Easter Monday
May 23
Victoria Day Holiday
June 3
P.A. Day
June 28
Report Cards go home
Grade 8 Grad
June 29
Last day of School